


their purpose

by maelstrcms



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Prince Lee Taeyong, Rapunzel Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28045506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maelstrcms/pseuds/maelstrcms
Summary: Jaehyun isn't one to believe in fairytales, but an encounter with Taeyong will change his mind forever.(Or: Jaehyun stumbles upon a crown, the missing prince and a tower in the middle of the woods — not in that order)
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	their purpose

**Author's Note:**

> for a little wonder fest - 23 days of wonder | day 3: fairytale
> 
> this was originally going to go in a very different direction and i have no idea how it all relates to each other. this fic is weird and not cohesive at all but i hope you enjoy it <3333
> 
> _unbetaed_

If you had told Jaehyun just an hour before he left town for the big city that he would meet the most beautiful boy he had ever seen in his life, hidden away in a tall tower buried deep in the dark forest, he would’ve laughed at your face and told you to grow up. He would even have offered to walk you to the town’s doctor, because he was _such_ a nice guy.

Basically, he wouldn’t have believed you.

Growing up in a little town far from the city that was the capital of the flourishing kingdom, he had learned to discern the line between truth and myths. The elders were full of old stories and legends, spouting lines of some folk tale or other whenever Jaehyun had the misfortune of running into them.

A younger Jaehyun used to come running to the elders, begging for them to tell their stories. He hung on to their every word, picturing the various far-fetched scenarios in his head. One day he was a warrior, avenging his fallen kingdom, and a prince, locked in a tower forever against his will the next. His imagination used to run wild, making every day magical.

But, as all kids did, Jaehyun grew up. He developed ideas and theories of his own that the town’s limited education system just couldn’t handle. The small town couldn’t grant him a reason to keep going on, a _purpose_.

So he planned to leave for the capital.

After waving the merry townspeople goodbye and reminding them that he would be back soon (he wasn’t actually going to return, but he didn’t let them know that), Jaehyun set off into the forest with nothing but a map, a lamp, and his belongings, packed into a bag slung over his shoulder.

He thought he could reach the big city before nightfall, but the woods were thick and tough to navigate, forcing him to wander in the darkness, searching for a place where he could set up camp for the night.

“There has to be one _somewhere_ ,” Jaehyun muttered to himself, staring intently at the ground in front of him as he walked.

He noticed a narrow, well-worn path a little way out of the route to the city. After a moment of thought, Jaehyun turned down it, following the trail through the thick trees.

The path lead through the trees and past a sturdy wall of rock that opened up into a wide clearing. In the middle of the clearing, there was a tower.

It was tall, rising higher than any building he had ever seen before, built out of stone and covered in vines. Jaehyun slowly approached it, questions running through his head.

“What’s a tower doing in the middle of the forest?”

He walked a circle around its base, searching for any sign of an entrance to the building but couldn’t find a single one. Instead of doing what his heart told him to and climbing the tower to see who or what dwelled inside, Jaehyun set up camp a little way away from the tower, lighting a little fire and huddling around it, warming his cold hands. He leaned against his bag, a thin cloth separating his back from the damp dirt ground, keeping his eyes and ears peeled. All was silent, and Jaehyun found his eyelids slowly drooping lower, until he finally fell asleep.

Jaehyun woke up to the sound of leaves crunching as something approached him. He heard footsteps, and a faint snarl coming from all around him.

His eyes shot open, his hand immediately reaching for a dagger he had tucked into his belt. _Shit_.

He was surrounded by wolves, and they looked hungry.

Jaehyun forced himself to breathe deeply and focus, surveying the area without making any sudden moves. There was no sign of anyone nearby, except for the glow of a lamp coming from the single window of the tower. The fire he had prepared was out. and he doubted that he could take down a whole pack of wolves with a dagger. Jaehyun was a thinker. not a fighter.

But he didn’t have much of a choice.

He folded his fingers around the hilt of the blade and exhaled slowly, preparing himself. He had to get through this, he had to-

“Over here!”

A clear voice rang out from the tower and echoed across the clearing. The wolves leapt backwards and growled menacingly. Jaehyun’s head swung around, looking for the voice’s owner, and saw a face framed with messy blonde hair peek out from the opening. “Eat this!”

A piece of meat flew out of the window in the direction of the woods, and the wolves sprinted to get it, ignoring Jaehyun. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Hey, you can’t stay down there all night,” the male smiled down at him. “Why don’t you come up here? The wolves won’t be occupied forever, and it’s safe.”

“How?”

He gave Jaehyun a funny look and his head disappeared from the window for a second before reappearing with a rope ladder. “Come on, before they’re finished!”

Jaehyun looked at the wolves, his little camp on the floor and back to the tower. 

He packed his stuff up and started climbing the ladder.

“Why do you live here?” wondered Jaehyun.

The tower’s walls were covered in complex paintings and sketches. There was an accurate depiction of the night sky on the ceiling, and the wooden floor was painted in the colours of the rainbow. The man, whose name he learned was Yong, had poured him a cup of warm tea and invited him to have a chat.

“It's peaceful,” Yong simply answered, busy stirring a pot of stew. “I like the solitude. But that’s enough about me, what’s your story, traveller? It’s been forever since anyone came to my tower. What brings you to this part of the forest?”

“I was born in a small town just West of here, and left to find a better life in the capital,” Jaehyun didn’t take his eyes off Yong’s turned back.

He glanced at Jaehyun. “So, we have something in common. We’re both runaways.”

“Yeah, I guess. Where did you come from?”  
Yong hesitated. “I used to work for the royal family, but I didn’t like it much there, so I ran away.” Jaehyun could tell that he was choosing his words carefully, watching his words.

He quickly switched the topic. “You’ll be heading for the capital tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give you a few things to aid your travel. The journey is far and very tiring. However, I think you’ll find the troubles worth it,” Yong came over to where he was sitting, carrying a steaming bowl in his hands. His expression was wistful, as if he was longing for something.

“Are you tired of living in this cramped tower?”

Yong threw his head back and laughed. “Are you asking me this because you want me to accompany you, or are you genuinely concerned about me, a random stranger living in the forest’s wellbeing?”

His cheeks felt very warm. “Both.”

“I’m sorry Jaehyun, but I won’t be leaving anytime soon. Besides, the capital doesn’t like me anymore.”

“Why?”

Yong’s eyes were sad now. “Some things should be kept a secret. Go to bed, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun climbed out of his makeshift cot on the couch when he was sure that Yong was asleep, hearing his soft breathing coming from the bed a little way away. He knew that it was rude to snoop, but the blonde man intrigued him. Why did he leave the capital? Why doesn’t he want to return? And, most of all, why did he say that the city hated him?

Was he a criminal? A thief, caught and escaped into the forest? Or maybe a murderer, with blood on his hands? Were the chests that lined the circular walls full of weapons? Jaehyun let his imagination run wild for the first time in years, each possibility sending chills down his spine.

His curiosity got the best of him, and he stole to the bookshelves, hoping that there was a hint of who Yong was within those pages. There were books filled with cooking recipes, on knitting, and a few leather-covered journals crammed with poetry in what he assumed was Yong’s neat handwriting. Jaehyun placed it back on the shelf, realizing that it probably was too personal for his eyes to see.

After a quick debate in his head, he decided to climb down the stairs of the tower, leading to a narrow storage space at the end of the stairs. There were more trunks piled on top of each other, and they looked like they hadn’t been touched in a long time. Jaehyun headed to the one in the very front, which was the biggest. Unlike the clean interior of the tower, the box was dusty and filled with fancy clothes made of expensive material. 

Is this what people wear in the capital?

Jaehyun handled them meticulously, carefully folding them back into their rightful places. He was just about to close the chest and go back to sleep, sure that Yong was just a regular civilian, and there was nothing interesting about his past, when his hand pressed against something sharp, cold, and definitely not cloth. He stuck his hand in and pulled out a gleaming circlet covered with jewels.

A crown. 

It wasn’t just any random crown, however. Jaehyun didn’t pay much attention to the classes teaching about the royal family’s history, but recognized it from the front page of his textbook as the one prepared for the crown prince when he ascended to the throne.

Was this mysterious "Yong" a thief?

Jaehyun didn’t speak much during breakfast while Yong fussed over him, claiming that he didn’t have the chance to help people out like this anymore when he lived in such a secluded part of the forest.

“That’s the one thing I miss about living in the city,” he said. “assisting those in need.” Jaehyun had rolled his eyes when he knew Yong wasn’t looking.

When it was finally time for him to leave, Yong bid him farewell with a hug, and Jaehyun was thoroughly confused. How could a thief, who had stolen the prince’s crown, treat him so nicely? Yong was nothing but friendly during Jaehyun’s short stay, and he almost felt bad climbing down the rope ladder with the crown tucked safely in his bag.

True to Yong’s word, the trek through the woods had taken a few days, and Jaehyun found himself spending hours staring at the glittery circlet. He felt bad for taking it from Yong for some reason, and he tried to shake his thoughts away. It was something that Yong had stolen in the first place, and Jaehyun was just returning it to its rightful owner, right?

On the final night of the journey, he was holding the crown in his hand again, wondering if Yong had even noticed it missing from the trunk. He probably didn’t, Jaehyun decided. The chest it was in was so covered in dust that he assumed Yong hadn’t opened it in years, which struck him as odd. Why go through all the trouble of stealing the crown to hide it in a dirty trunk?

He turned it around in his hands, his mind clouded with thoughts of the mysterious Yong.

Did he have family somewhere? Were they looking for him?

Jaehyun ran his fingers over the metal, noticing a few words carved into the inside of the headdress.

Bringing the crown closer to the light of his fire, he squinted at the incisions.

_L. T. Y._

He wondered what it stood for.

It was noon when he reached the capital, and he was surprised at how different it was compared to his hometown.

For one thing, it was full of people. The roads were filled with humans travelling either on foot or horse, and it was all so loud.

He easily joined the crowd, surging down the path. He overheard many conversations between the city-dwellers, speaking loudly to be heard over the crowd.

“It sure is packed today.”

“What do you expect? It’s the fifth year anniversary of the prince going missing.”

“Of course, how could I have forgotten?”

Jaehyun was confused. The prince had gone missing?

He tapped the woman who was speaking on the shoulder. “Excuse me miss, did you say that the prince was missing?”

“Yes, he’s been missing for the last five years,” she gave him a sceptical look. “You’re not from here, are you?”

“I’m from a small town West of here, we didn’t hear the news.”

“Ah, a country boy! Well, I hope you enjoy the festival. We have it every year in hopes that he’ll see it and come back to us.”

He nodded slowly, processing the information. “Thank you for telling me, miss.”

“No problem! You’re such a sweet young man, they must bring boys up differently in the countryside,” she joked, disappearing in the multitude of bodies.

Jaehyun shoved his hand into his bag, making sure that the crown was still there. 

Was Yong somehow related to the prince’s disappearance?

The evening was nearing, and he had found out from a few friendly locals that the royal family released lanterns every year, just in case the missing prince managed to see them from wherever he was.

Jaehyun found a place to sit on the lake, where people were scribbling messages to the lost prince on their paper lanterns. As the sun set, he spotted a few figures on the other side, wearing clothes similar to those Yong had in his chest, release the first lanterns into the sky. Jaehyun realized with a jolt that none of the locals wore clothes made of the materials Yong had in his suitcase, except for the royal family.

Which meant…

Jaehyun stood up hurriedly as the king’s voice rang out across the lake, loud enough for him to hear it.

“Please come back to us, Prince _Lee Taeyong_.”

The trip that had originally taken him days took him a few hours at most on a horse he had stolen from one of the civilians. Jaehyun’s heart was racing at a double time when he entered the familiar opening, spotting the remains of his fire from the first night in the woods.

Yong didn’t respond to his calls, but Jaehyun could see smoke rising from the chimney, letting him know that Yong was in the tower.

“If you don’t let me up, I’ll climb up myself!” he promised, gripping the bricks with his hands.

A long climb later, he tumbled through the window to find Yong sitting on a chair facing him, his face unreadable.

“Did you tell them?”

“No.”

His face softened just a fraction. “Thank goodness.”

“I’m sorry,” Jaehyun began, wondering how to address him. Yong? Taeyong? His majesty?

“Just call me Taeyong,” he sighed. “I have a lot I need to tell you.”

“I ran away because I was a coward.”

Taeyong paused, collecting his thoughts before he spoke.

“Being apart of the royal family is a _huge_ responsibility, and I could never live up to the reputation they had set for me. It was all too much, and when I was told that I would be crowned king, I couldn’t take it anymore. I wasn’t even first in line for the throne, it was supposed to go to my sister, but they chose me for some stupid reason. I never wanted to be king and I couldn’t take the pressure,” he rambled, holding the crown in his hands.

“I understand,” Jaehyun said after a long time. He stood up, pulling Taeyong up with him.

“Wait, what are you doing?” asked Taeyong, as Jaehyun dragged him to the window, tying the rope ladder to the hooks fastened on the windowsill.

“You don’t want to be king, right?” When Taeyong nodded his head, Jaehyun continued. “Then, we must get rid of this,” he held the crown up.

They were huddled together, Taeyong gripping the crown with both hands. The royal clothes had become nothing but ash when they dumped the contents of the trunk into a blazing fire, and it was time for Taeyong to get rid of the only thing holding him back.

“You can do this,” Jaehyun reassured, holding Taeyong’s shoulders supportively.

Taeyong’s face was even more beautiful than ever, silhouetted by the flames, as he dropped the crown in. They watched it disappear in the blaze, what remained of the circlet disappearing forever.

Jaehyun never returned to his hometown or the capital again.

The tower had now become a sturdy house, hidden by the trees. Jaehyun and Taeyong had decided to tear it down and rebuild it, brick by brick, together.

Jaehyun’s catch of the day was roasting over a warm fire as Taeyong read to Jaehyun a poem he had written just earlier today.

Jaehyun had found himself a purpose, living in a house in the woods, providing for himself and the man he had grown to love. 

Taeyong had found himself a purpose, writing book after book of poetry and songs that only Jaehyun had the privilege to hear. After the years of loneliness, Taeyong had a companion, a person with whom he didn’t mind spending his days.

They had finally found their purpose.

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/maelstrcms) / [curious cat](https://curiouscat.qa/maelstrcms)


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